She wasn’t fast enough to cut him off. Her eyes went toward her dad, who was listening and looking around Viktor.
“Lacey Marie Cruz!” Her father only used her middle name when she was in trouble. “Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”
“I’m fine.” Lacey’s eyes shifted at the lie. Dammit.
“Don’t you lie to me, young lady.” Her father took a step toward her.
“It’s a little sore, but it’s fine.” Lacey flinched when Viktor reached for it.
“Let me see.” His voice deepened as his eyes narrowed. When she didn’t make a move to do as he asked, he frowned. “Lacey.”
Removing her good hand, she glanced down as she held her injured one out. “Please don’t touch it,” she begged, hating the fact that she begged, but with one touch she would either faint or puke from the pain. “It’s just sprained.”
Her wrist was swollen and seemed to be angled in a weird way.
“My God, girl.” Her father’s voice cracked. “You’ve been back here for hours with your wrist like that?”
“I’m—”
“If you say you’re fine, you’re fired.” Her dad’s voice rose slightly. “You need to get to the hospital and get that X-rayed. That’s what insurance is for, and I pay enough for it. The rain is slowing so I’ve got this.”
“He’s right.” Viktor frowned down at her. “I’ll make sure she gets it looked at, sir.”
“Thank you.” Her father nodded. “And it’s Ted, not sir. Call me as soon as you get it looked at.”
Lacey allowed Viktor to lead her into the hallway, but she stopped far enough away from the door. “Stop,” she said, holding her hand tightly against her chest. “I can’t go to the hospital. I can’t afford it.”
“But he said you have insurance.” Viktor frowned down at her. “Stop trying to get out of it.”
“I’m the one who takes care of all that, and I canceled my policy because he can’t afford it.” Lacey bit her lip, knowing she needed to be looked at. “I can’t afford to go, and we still owe them from my mom, not a lot, but enough they’ll probably refuse me, I guess. Or maybe they won’t, but I seriously can’t afford it. I can just get a brace or something.”
Viktor continued to frown down at her as he took out his phone. He texted something then stared down at her. “I like your outfit.”
“Huh?” Lacey frowned at his casual comment. When she looked down at herself, she grimaced. Before she could say anything else, he was texting again.
After he put his phone in his pocket, he walked her to the bar and pulled out a stool for her to sit on. “What are we doing?”
“I’m taking you to see someone for your wrist,” Viktor replied, nodding to the bartender who was staring at them. “I don’t feel safe putting you on my bike even though the rain has let up because you can’t hold on. So someone is bringing a car, and I’ll follow.”
“Lacey, you okay?” Clem made his way down to their end. “What happened?”
“I slipped and fell.” Lacey dragged her eyes from Viktor, though she wanted to ask more questions.
“Dammit. I told Ted I’d help him patch the roof over the storage room.” Clem frowned. “You need to get that checked out.”
“She is,” Viktor replied, his tone indicating there was no talking him out of it.
Lacey didn’t know if it was the pain that was allowing her to let him take over or if it just felt damn good to be taken care of for once. Probably the combination of both. He glanced at his phone before putting it back in his coat pocket.
“Let’s go.” He helped her stand with a gentle grip on her elbow.
“You getting that checked out?” Val passed with a tray full of drinks.
“Yes, I’m sorry to leave you guys,” Lacey called out.
“Stop worrying about everyone else but yourself.” Val glanced back at her. “We’ve got this.”
Lacey noticed all the women were staring at Viktor, even Val who was happily married. She didn’t blame them. She stared at him too. A black SUV waited at the front door. Viktor opened it up, and Lacey saw Jill in the driver seat.
“Hey.” Jill smiled and glanced at her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you to the doc. He’s on his way back to the compound now.”
“Drive safe, Jill.” Viktor stuck his head in the car as he worked the seat belt to secure her in.
Sucking in a gasp when his big hand grazed her breast, Lacey suddenly forgot about her pain. Her eyes shot to his, which seemed to glow in the darkness of the car. “I’ll be behind you.”
All she could do was nod as he shut the door. It wasn’t until then that she released a deep breath, taking in some much-needed air.
“Yeah, those Warriors seem to affect all the females that way.” Jill snorted, then took off, slamming Lacey back into the seat. “Oops, sorry about that.”
Two things Lacey realized en route—she was very trusting of these vampires and Jill couldn’t drive worth a shit.
Chapter 18
Viktor stopped at a red light behind Jill and Lacey. He knew her wrist needed attending to, and her refusal to go to the hospital angered him, but he understood her reluctance. Thankfully Slade agreed to see her. Frowning, he glanced at the light. Damn, this was the longest fucking light. Instantly alert, a sudden feeling overcame him. His eyes roamed the area, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and then he heard it. The sound of a speeding car. Just as his gaze went to his side mirror, it was almost too late.
Not having time to turn and try to stop the vehicle coming his way, Viktor cursed as he jumped off his bike just as the front of the car hit his back tire.
“Jill!” He roared the warning just as he jumped, but knew it was too late as the car smashed his motorcycle then hit the back of the SUV. The sickening sound of metal on metal reached his ears as he rolled to his feet. He raced toward the SUV, still moving from the impact.
Grabbing onto the back fender, he brought it to a stop, then raced around to the passenger side to see Lacey’s head slumped forward, her body held back by the seat belt. “Fuck!” He tried to open the door, but it was wedged by the damage of being hit from behind. Everything was smashed toward the front. With a growl, he ripped the door open. “Jill!”
Jill shook her head. “What the hell happened?” She turned to look at him. Blood ran down her face from a deep slash across her forehead, he figured from the steering wheel.
“Lacey!” He gently moved her hair away, thankful there was no blood. The seat belt had stopped her from hitting the dashboard or windshield.
“Is she okay?” Jill’s voice sounded stronger.
Since Viktor could see Lacey’s chest moving, he knew she was breathing. Maybe the whiplash from the hit caused her to pass out. Fear and the feeling of not being in control drove him insane. He hated feelings of helplessness more than anything. Carefully, he moved her head to rest back against the seat. “Lacey, wake up.” He cupped her chin. “Come on.”
Her eyes fluttered then opened slowly. She groaned, then looked around until she turned her head to look at him. “Are you okay?”
Relief so swift went through Viktor’s body his knees actually felt fucking weak. “Am I okay?” He couldn’t help but repeat her question in disbelief. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” Lacey reached to unbuckle her seat belt, but cried out, no doubt from the pain in her wrist.
Viktor reached over to unhook it for her. “Call Slade,” Viktor instructed Jill as he started to help Lacey out of the SUV.
“He’s on his way,” Jill said from inside the vehicle.
Before Viktor could respond, the sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the SUV. His eyes rose to see Jill being pulled out of the driver-side window, kicking and cursing. Lacey screamed as Viktor pulled her clear of Jill’s kicking feet.
“Jill!” Viktor roared, but he couldn’t leave Lacey here unprotected. “Fuck!”
“Go! Help her!” Lacey cried out, pushing him. “I’m fine. Go!”
<
br /> Hearing Jill scream profanities, he had to do something. Seeing a cop running toward Jill, Viktor yelled out. “Hey!” The cop glanced his way and then hurried over. “Stay with her,” Viktor ordered as he took off.
The young cop thankfully didn’t complain, said nothing at all in fact. Once Viktor rounded the SUV, he knew why. Jill was surrounded by fifteen large vampires, and she was barely able to use her strength and telekinesis to hold them back. Reacting immediately, he ran toward them. When his gaze met that of... Jezebeth.... He would have stumbled if he’d been less of a badass. Across the street, she stood with a smile spread across her evil lips. With a finger wave, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Jill stood with her arms outstretched, but she was outnumbered. As Jill turned, keeping them back, he had no doubt her power was waning against the onslaught of so many. With a running leap, he cleared the circle of vampires, landing next to Jill.
“You ready?” Viktor growled at Jill as he eyed the crazed-looking fuckers. They were legit slobbering as they stared at them.
“Since I don’t have a fucking choice, yeah, I’m ready,” Jill hissed, her hands still up. “My power is weakening.”
“Why didn’t your power work on me?” Viktor asked, his eyes shooting toward Lacey with the cop; they both watched wide-eyed.
“Because I pulled it once I realized what you were doing,” Jill said, her back against his. “They didn’t even try to move. It’s as if they’re waiting for something.”
Viktor realized she was right. They weren’t fighting against her power, their gaze seemed to have a haze over them, and they were swaying back and forth almost in sync. “Drop your power.”
“I already did,” Jill replied as they glanced over their shoulder at each other, then to the vampires surrounding them. “Guess I’ll take this side and you take that side.”
“Or we just stand here until reinforcements get here.” Viktor scanned the group knowing that they were being controlled. And he knew exactly who was controlling them. The bitch who gave him the finger wave.
“Oh, I like that pl—” Jill stopped short when, in unison, the swarm of vampires tilted their heads to the same side and hissed in harmony. “Okay, that’s fucking creepy as hell. What’s going on, Viktor?”
“Not sure, but I’m tired of waiting to find out.” Viktor took a step just as the circle surrounding them moved as one, their mission clear—killing him and Jill.
Lacey watched as Viktor left her and ran toward Jill before he took a leap, clearing the heads of the vampires. “Oh my God.” She held her breath as she watched, but the vampires didn’t move. They just swayed back and forth somewhat eerily.
“What are they doing?” Lacey whispered, not expecting an answer.
“I have no idea,” the cop, who’d arrived by her side, whispered back.
No way could little Jill and Viktor take on this many vampires. “You have to help them.”
“Ah, ma’am, this is VC Warrior—”
The cop stopped at Lacey’s gasp. “But you’re a police officer. Shoot them.” Lacey never wanted to smack someone more in her life than she did this guy. Her eyes left his reddening cheeks in disgust to see the crowd of onlookers watching. There had to be somebody who could help them.
Lacey started around the SUV, but slowed down feeling the tightness in her back and neck from the accident. A police officer grabbed her arm. “Ma’am, I can’t let you go over there,” he hissed at her. “And I can’t just start shooting. What if I hit him or her? Worse, what if I hit an onlooker?”
Lacey couldn’t believe he wasn’t running out to help. Wasn’t that his job? She stared at him shocked.
“I know the girl. She’s a VC Warrior. I’m sure the rest are on their way,” the cop continued, still holding her arm. “Is that guy a Warrior too?”
Lacey nodded, still sick with worry. Nothing was happening. She could see Viktor and Jill talking to each other. “What are they waiting for?” Not that she was anxious for them to move in on Viktor and Jill, but this was strange. And by the look on Viktor’s face, he was thinking the same thing.
She watched as Viktor took a step forward. At the same time, the vampires’ heads tilted to the same side. A loud hiss filled the air. “No!” Lacey screamed as the vampires moved in on Viktor and Jill.
Lacey had seen many fights in her life—growing up in the bar scene it was pretty much a given to see a fight—but this was something totally different. Fifteen to two. This wasn’t a fight. It was a massacre.
More police showed up, but none got involved. Instead, they moved the crowd of onlookers back, even tried to move her back, but she resisted, her eyes glued to the fight. Viktor’s rage was clear to everyone watching. He kicked, threw, and punched his way through vampires, but they kept getting back up and coming for more. Lacey wanted to shout for him to get rid of the damn coat as it seemed to hinder him. A moment later, she watched a small blade sail through the air and cringed when it embedded into the forehead of one of the vampires.
“Yes!” she shouted, watching as Viktor spun, his hand inside his coat for the barest of seconds before he pulled his hand out and shot another small blade into the throat of another vampire. Her eyes quickly went to Jill to see her using her hands as a vampire shot off the ground into the air and against the wall, scattering cops who were there to keep watchers safely back.
Lacey cried out when Viktor was picked up and thrown, but he rolled easily to his feet, grabbing the nearest vampire and slamming him to the ground. Then he was hit from behind. He and Jill were being overrun. Sickness, fear, and horror made her weak as she watched Viktor and Jill take hit after hit, but they didn’t give up. And neither did the vampires. They kept coming.
“Somebody needs to help them,” Lacey shouted, feeling helpless, and hated it. Seeing one of the blades Viktor had thrown on the road, her eyes shot up to Viktor then Jill. She was trying to fight off two vampires but was stumbling backward under their onslaught.
Without any thought to anything other than helping, she took off, stumbling at first, but was able to reach the blade. Picking it up, she was surprised by its weight. It was heavier than she thought it would be. Aware there was no way she had the skill to throw it, Lacey charged toward the closest vampire and rammed it into his back with her good hand. It stopped him moving forward toward Jill. His arm tried to reach over his shoulder so he could grab it out of his back, but he couldn’t reach. With a hiss, he turned around, his eyes landing on her. Lacey stepped back, realizing her mistake. That had been the totality of her plan—stab one in the back. After that, she didn’t have a clue. A scream built in the back of her throat just as the vampire raised his hand toward her. She moved back, her eyes squeezing shut knowing she wouldn’t survive a hit.
A roar of rage had her eyes flying open. Viktor grabbed the vampire by the head and shoulder, his mouth opened as his large fangs tore into the vampire’s neck, ripping his neck and throat wide open. With strength she struggled to comprehend, he ripped the vampire’s head completely off its body. The head dropped from Viktor’s hand as he tossed the body. Lacey cried out as the vampire’s eyes were wide open, staring lifelessly at her. Her gaze rose to see Viktor glaring at her before turning around in a protective stance, facing the next assault.
Not able to stop herself, her eyes returned to the gruesome site. She gagged. Realizing her mistake, she tried to move back, but with each movement, she was distracting Viktor. He was trying to keep her safe. When he glanced toward her, he was hit. Before she could react, she was grabbed under the arms and dragged away. A scream tore from her throat.
“I got her, Viktor!” a voice called out as she was picked up and carried away, her eyes never leaving Viktor. She stopped her struggle against whoever had her because, at the moment, her fear was not for herself, but for Viktor who had turned to her. She opened her mouth, but her scream wasn’t quick enough. Four vampires tackled him to the ground.
Chapter 19
Viktor ha
d never been happier to hear his brother’s voice than he was at that moment. He still turned to make sure he wasn’t hearing things, and it was, in fact, Bishop who had Lacey. His eyes met Lacey’s just as hers opened wide in horror and her mouth formed a scream. Viktor hit the ground hard as punches and kicks rained down against his body. Most he blocked, some he didn’t.
Never in his life had he felt fear as he did when the vampire bastard raised his fist to Lacey. If Viktor hadn’t been close enough, he knew for a fact Lacey would be dead. Fury at the thought and knowing she was safe had him exploding from the ground in a whirlwind of strikes, hitting any son of a bitch dumb enough to be close to him.
Four on one didn’t mean shit to him. He’d fought against worse odds. His eyes searched for Jill. Her mate, Slade, was doing damage to the bastard who had thrown her. Jill was using her powers to hold another against the wall as she regained her strength. Warriors fought side by side, but it seemed nothing was stopping these fuckers. Only death would work. He was okay with that. Anyone who put someone he cared about in danger was fair game.
The fight lasted way longer than it should have and by the time the last vampire stood hissing, the whole street was covered with police, EMS, and the fire department. All the spectators were gone, pushed back for their safety. One last vampire let out a scream, his eyes completely black as he tried to pass Viktor, heading toward where Lacey stood with Nicole, Katrina, and a large coyote poised in front of them. Viktor took off, but the coyote leaped in the air and grabbed the throat of the vampire, viciously ending the fight.
Viktor’s gaze went from the coyote, who continued to tear at the dead vampire, to Katrina, who looked toward him. With a nod, her attention returned to the coyote, who immediately backed away and resumed its position of guarding the women. Impressive was an understatement. The coyote let out a soulful howl, which was answered by many that were not seen.
Limping his way toward them, Viktor’s gaze met that of Lacey’s, who still held her hand to her chest, her eyes huge in her pale face. Even though he wanted to shake her for putting herself in danger, he controlled that urge. Instead, he glanced at Katrina. “We could have used about fifteen of him.” He nodded toward the coyote.
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